Several people who have seen my finished witchy socks have (rightly) argued that they can be worn at any time, not just at halloween. Though there is something about that orange-purple-black combo that does cry out for our unique American observance of this time of year. Is anyone else already looking forward to small children in adorable costumes? I definitely am. It is worth handing out chocolate to see such cuteness.

Regardless of your halloween practices, I for one am delighted to have these finished. And yes, even though these were started three years ago… the purple trend continues. While rumors may be circulating that I also just purchased a pound of dark plum merino top from The Fold, you can’t prove it and anyway it wasn’t my fault. 🙂

It has been ridiculously long since I have written. In good news there as been much progress, new fun toys, and a returning drive for knitting even though spinning and dyeing are still vying for much of my crafting energy and time. These simple socks were started months ago… a kindness to hands of restlessness during our denomination’s annual meeting. Hours in the plenary hall really require some sort of crafting freedom to pass the time. Happily no one fusses when staff knits, so I thought it the perfect time to knit for a friend.

Inevitably the amount of time I assumed plenary would take in boredom years was only half as long as it would take me to knit what I think is a somewhat timetaking (yet mindless) pattern: twin rib. What remains then of course is not only single sock syndrome, but the added reminder of all of those hours of meeting time wrapped up in casting on for the second sock. Finally out of sheer embarrassment, these got done and were mailed scant hours ago. A simple non-pattern, toe up with a slip stitch toe and heel. This yarn is Socks that Rock, mediumweight. Lush and fabulous.

I also have gotten to the half way mark on another long dormant pair of socks, my monkey socks. Ridiculous that they have been dormant for so long, since this is in fact a super fun pattern to knit. And the yarn is gorgeous. Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock again, this time in the Raven Series. Both of these are holdovers from the Rockin’ Sock Club so you know we are digging into stash history… that fine strata of projects not yet complete. The goal is to clear some back work out of the queue to, of course, justify the casting on of evermore projects. Perfection.

Apologies for the wonky photo. I saw a clear space in all the clutter and plop! Down the sock went. More news soon… a woman can’t be expected to catch up all at once.

Well not really, more like a very sloooooooow and lazy blogger. I do love these socks though, and their image has been sitting in my camera since Christmas. Sad, I know.

Again they are ankle height, made for my aunt who lives in the tropics. I started something insane by making my mother socks the Christmas before. Or, let’s be honest, she started it. By demanding a pair of socks. To wear near the equator. Of course.

Then my aunt wanted a pair. This made for perfect last minute Christmas knitting, which is traditional to the season. These are made from Socks that Rock “Fire on the Mountain” colorway. Can you say BRIGHT?

Anyway, I love this yarn as so many do. The brightness of this pair of socks is astounding to the eye. I think I shall use the remainder to make myself a pair. Perhaps with toes and heels in black. Just for a break in all the screaming.

I will admit that I have been a bit distanced from the sock club for the past two kits due to what I considered to be a great deal of pink. No complaints, mind you. I fully understand that selecting colors and kits for thousands of people means there will be months when the kit’s destiny is to be gifted to others.

My own lack of faith somehow kept me with with a Socks that Rock warm fuzzy in my heart (because how not?) but without a great deal of breath holding anticipation for this month’s sock club. And of course there was the little sneaky tactic of telling us things were not to be mailed until yesterday, when mine was clearly sent out earlier than that.

So without assaulting the postal carrier, or bouncing with hope, I got the mail today. My mailbox was stuffed with a priority mail envelope that STILL did not set off my clue bells.

Until I opened it and found Lenore!

Holy delicious socks, Batman! I love everything about this kit… the yarn (first release in the Raven series) is stunning and the pattern (provided by none other than the Yarn Harlot) is perfect perfect perfect. And spiders! Who can resist spiders? I cannot wait to get this on my needles.

No sooner had I said that before I realized that my last year’s Jaywalkers in Socktoberfest yarn have been in Second Sock Syndrome hell for a year. Crap. Do I leave them fester for one more year and dive into Lenore? Or do the responsible thing and return to the Jaywalkers first? Blargh. I travel again on Sunday. The truth will soon come out.

EDITED TO ADD: It didn’t even occur to me to share my ball band for the poetic license competition. My apologies! My ball band says “Looking Through Rose Colored Glasses.”

Well at least now I can say I am not two yarn kits behind. Just barely. I have been such a scattered knitter these past months.

I decided to make Tidal Wave Socks from the April Rockin’ Sock Club 2007 kit. This is Socks that Rock Silkie in the Walking on the Wild Tide colorway. My apologies for a pic that does not really show the pattern all that well. I really loved how this pattern broke up the stripes and prevented pooling in these socks. Delightful! And the Silkie is so soft. I may make a scarf / shawl type thing with the other skein I have. This is definitely meant to be worn next to the skin!

First of all simply getting her to agree to wear a pair of handknit socks (rather than hang them on the wall as art if you can even imagine the horror) was a journey in and of itself. Luckily she fell in love with some violently bright yarn that I had dyed myself. The plan came together quite easily.

In the fine tradition of plans, this one had a twist. The yarn had enough color in it to cry out for a simple, stockinette design. I complied. I did the exact same thing for both socks, based on my most favorite, can-be-knit-with-my-eyes-closed, pattern. And what became of that? Fraternal twins!

Was my dying just that inaccurate? Did I use wedges of color or something else equally crazy? The gauge is the same for both socks. The stitch count is the same. What on earth happened?

Finally the socks were complete. Of course she loves them just as wacky as they are. Is anyone surprised? I had some yarn left over so I thought I would make these. Remember that friend of mine who is having a baby? She also happens to be my housemate’s daughter. Grandma and grandson socks. Could there be anything cuter?

In my humble opinion, I just don’t think so. I gave her both together.

What brings joy like a friend having a baby on the way? So many glorious and adorable things to knit. And fast! I fell in love with this pattern by Ann Norling for a Kid’s Fruit Cap. I went the eggplant route. Of course, the actual hat is eggplantier than this one, but the color did not come out clearly in the photo.

I am also pleased to report that the Inside Out socks were finished last week. One of these days I am going to have to ball the new sock yarn and start on my Grasshoppers. Hooray for the Rockin’ Sock Club!

Don’t ask me why, but I somehow managed to hit a blogging wall. I assume this happens to many bloggers… but I got to the point where I just didn’t feel like writing about knitting anymore. Or spinning for that matter. I love both, mind you… I have just been so tired. Too much work, too much travel, too much drama. You know how it is.

But I feel bad for my socks growing slower than slow… and figured I might as well post the pictures that I have been taking.

My Rockin’ Sock Club ‘Inside Out’ socks are just five rounds from completion. They will be finished on the plane back to Cincinnati this evening. Why? Because my latest sock club package is waiting for me at Eric’s house and I can’t be opening that shipment without finishing this one. Here was my first sock in all its glory:

And here is where the pair is at now:

So close! The cables are much cooler when actually stretched out on my hoofie woofies. Speaking of large feet… you will notice the legs of the socks are not terribly high… this is because I was conserving yarn due to the high number of stitches and the wideness of my feet. They are comfy though, so no complaints.

Then there were the socks that my housemate finally deigned to allow me to make for her. Here is her modelling the first bright monstrosity:

And the current state… not so terribly different than what you see above. These are next on the list. I need to rescue my needles to work on my Silkies!

Do my feet have an inherent need to be swathed in soft fluffiness? It seems so. Here are the varied, and often eye wounding, projects I have been working on of late. All in progress, all currently just a single, all intended for footsies.

Let us begin with the eyesore. OK, OK maybe that isn’t entirely fair. This skein of yarn began as a humble length of Knit Picks Bare Essentials. Then it went on a journey with me to Dagmar Klos’ Socks to Dye For class. And then it lingered in the cedar chest for a time before becoming this:

Isn’t that BRIGHT?!?!!? Ye gods. And I dyed it my own self.

I also have so far made one foot of the Fiber Trends felted clogs. In Manos Del Uruguay’s Neptune colorway. I inserted my iPod for size reference. Yeesh this thing is huge:

And finally of course the Blue Moon Fiber Arts’ Rockin’ Sock Club February Kit. For those tracking the needle size craziness… I used size 2 circs for toe and heel, size 1 circs for the foot, and size 3 circs for the leg.

Well, I finally made the return trip and am looking forward to my first night in my own bed in a while. Oh the glory.

These travelin’ socks finally got finished on the plane from Boston, with the ends woven in 25 minutes before touchdown.

Sadly all my plans for converting airline personnel to sock knitting were for naught. For the first time in a long time most of the flight attendants ignored my knitting altogether. This may have been partly due to the fact that I was slacking off napping when the drink cart came by. I did get a few curious glances and one woman stopped to insist that I had clearly been knitting forever because my tension was much more even then hers.

Does even tension still count as a skill when you knit with enough tightness to squeeze new ripples into your yarn?

Oh well. I am pleased with these. I am counting them as a Project 2.0 FO because there is some nice blue in this colorway. Again, this is “Puck’s Mischief” Socks that Rock from the lovely people at Blue Moon Fiber Arts. Please ignore the paleness of my legs… it is winter ya know.